Convertible toy firearm



1966 J. N. RONCI CONVERTIBLE TOY FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1963 INVENTOR.

JOHN N. RONCI ATTOEY Aug. 23, 1966 J. N. RONCI 3,267,923

CONVERTIBLE TOY FIREARM Filed Sept. 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY United States Patent corporation of Mexico Filed Sept. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 308,289 Claims. ((31. 124-36) My present invention relates to toy firearms and more particularly to a convertible toy firearm.

The principal object of the present invent-ion is to provide a toy firearm which can be converted from a pistol to a rifle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy firearm which can be furnished in a kit so that the child can use it either as a pistol or a rifle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy firearm which comprises a pistol action which can be incorporated to form a rifle having the pistol action.

A further object of the present invent-ion is to provide a convertible toy firearm in which the parts are so constructed that the conversion can be made easily and rapidl Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy firearm in which the parts can be readily molded from plastic material to provide lightness and strength and in an inexpensive construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a convertible toy firearm which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the present invention assem bled to form a rifle.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 44 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the various parts of the present invention in disassembled position.

In the manufacture of toy firearms the most expensive item is usually the act-ion. That is the portion of the toy which holds the bullets, the hammer and the trigger construction. Toy pistols are very popular and most manufacturers of such items are all tooled up and have spent the money for the necessary jigs and fixtures to manufacture a complete authentic looking pistol. Rifles however, are another matter. Rifles contain different types of actions than pistols and they are therefore much more costly to build. Furthermore for small children the rifle should be made largely of plastic material and special actions must be devised to fit into such constructions. This greatly increases the cost of the item. The present invention is designed to provide a basic firearm in the form of a pistol which can be converted by means of an attachment kit into a rifle using the mechanism or action of the pistol. Such a conversion can be used either as a complete kit to be sold for the assembly of the user, or the conversion can be made permanently at the factory so that the same action in the pistol can be used for selling rifles in and of themselves.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, for the purposes of illustration the applicant has shown the converice sion mounted on a conventional frontier model six shooter very popular with the younger set. As can be seen in FIG. 5, this six shooter comprises an elongated barrel 10 extending from the central block or housing 11 in which the rotating chambers 12 revolve. Adjacent the lower portion of the barrel 10 is a slide member 13 which is the ejector of the shells in the barrel portion 12. The pistol is equipped with the usual large hammer 14 and trigger 15, the entire mechanism being such that it is authentically operated so that each pull of the trigger rotates the chamber portion 12. The pistol is provided with a grip 16 which widens out at the base 17. In the illustrated form the grip 16 is provided with ornamental buttons 18 extending laterally from each side and assembly openings 19 at the lower end. Normally the illustrated grip would be covered on each side by a decorative plastic or ivory portion which can be attached by inserting screws through the portion 19. The portion 18 would enter openings in such construction to prevent twisting movement. It should be noted that the central base portion 11, just upwardly and to the left of the buttons 18 is provided with a rectangular cut out portion 20 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

As has been mentioned above, the finished pistol is provided with decorative pearl or plastic portions covering the grip portion 16. When the conversion is being sold as a kit, the child must unscrew the grip portions and expose the pistol as illustrated in FIG. 5. To convert to a rifle, the pistol must be provided with two things, it must be provided at the front end with an extended barrel portion and grip and at the rear with a stock for raising to the shoulder. The stock conversion is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. An elongated conventional looking rifle stock 21 may be made of wood or molded from plastic material. The rear end may be solid but the front end is provided with a socket 22 for receiving the pistol grip 16. The front edge of the stock 21 is curved at 23 to correspond to the inner curvature of the pistol grip 16. The opening 22 extends downwardly to the bottom. When the stock is slipped over the pistol grip the slightly protruding portions 19 holding the screw openings slide inwardly on inner grooves 24 until the front edge 23 of the stock is in exact alignment with the front edge of the pistol grip 16 and the bottom 17 of the pistol grip is in alignment with the bottom of the stock as illustrated in FIG. 2. At the top end, the stock is provided with an opening 25 having inwardly projecting portions extending towards each other at 26. When the stock is slipped over the pistol grip 16, the ornamental buttons 18 slide into the opening'25 beneath the projections 26 and the projections 26 slide into the cut out portion 20 between the top of the button and the horizontal edge of the cut out portion to interlock the stock with the grip against swinging movement. This interlocking action illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, permits the permanent assembly of the stock to the pistol grip by means of a single nut and bolt 27 and 28.

Thus it is merely necessary in the position shown in FIG. 5, to push the stock to the left on the pistol grip 16 so that the projecting portions 26 slide between the button 18 and the horizontal portion of the cut out 20 and the parts slide into the alignment shown in FIG. 1. The insertion of the nut and bolt 27 and 28 thus serve to lock the parts together against further movement. If this is not a kit to be sold to the public but is to be a rifle with a pistol action and sold as such, then the nut and bolt can be replaced with a rivet for permanent assembly.

The above construction takes care of the stock. The barrel is handled by the construction shown forwardly in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. I provide an auxiliary base portion 29 having an arcuate bed 30. A flat central cut out portion 31 and an upwardly raised wall portion 32 from Patented August 23, 1966 one side edge at the rear. An auxiliary extended barrel member 33 is mounted on the base 29 and may be locked thereto by any desired means such as the bolt 34 which is positioned vertically from beneath the auxiliary base as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the auxiliary barrel portion 33 is made to conform to the diameter of the pistol barrel and is extended forwardly from the auxiliary portion 34 occupying approximately two-thirds of the arcuate bed portion 30. This assembly is done at the factory so that the unit is actually assembled before it is received by the user. Now to assemble the pistol with this portion, the auxiliary barrel portion is placed beneath the pistol barrel so that the front end of the barrel rests on the rear onethird of the arcuate bed 30 flush up against the back of the auxiliary barrel 33 as shown in FIG. 1. The flat cut out portion 31 permits the exposure of the slide 13 so that the ejector can still be operated with the fingers. The upstanding wall portion 32 at the rear overlaps the front end of the housing 11 and a single screw or bolt 35 is passed through the outer portion of the wall 32 and through the assembling opening 36a on the pistol. An assembly ring 36 is slipped over the front end of the auxiliary barrel 33 and has a diameter of such that it will pass over the auxiliary barrel 33 and the portion of the bed 30 beneath it and slide rearwardly over the front end of the barrel 10. Viewing FIG. 1, it should be noted that the bottom of the auxiliary base portion 29 is tapered, being thinner at the front end than at the rear. This tapering limits the sliding movement of the strap 36 to the point just short of the cut out 31 as shown in FIG. 1. This serves to lock the auxiliary base 29 and the auxiliary barrel 33 to the front of the pistol.

Now viewing FIG. 1, it can be seen that while the resultant assembly looks like a rifle it is actually provided with the pistol mechanism which is completely exposed and free to operate in the same manner as when it was disconnected as shown in FIG. 5. The type of pistol illustrated can be used wherein pellets are inserted to provide an authentic action. As has been stated hereinabove, the construction shown herein permits the manufacturer to produce arifle for sale as a rifle with the parts permanently assembled without the additional expense of tooling up for the rifle action. In other words a single set of tools for the manufacture of the pistol and its pistol action also can be used for the rifle and the rifle action. The other portions of the rifle, the stock 21 and the auxiliary base 29 may be molded from plastic material and the auxiliary barrel 33 and the ring 36 are of course made of metal.

When the outfit is being sold as a convention kit, it is merely necessary for the child to unscrew the bolt and nut 27 and 23 and to remove the assembly screw from the opening 36a. He then places the stock 21 into the position as above described and replaces the bolt 27 and nut 28. The auxiliary base 29 already has the rifle barrel attached to it and it is merely necessary to position it in the position shown in FIG. 1, slide on the ring 36 and replace the screw 35. This completes the conversion very quickly and easily. With the above construction the cost of the finished rifle is greatly reduced since the conversion parts may readily be molded from plastic material. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

1. A convertible toy comprising a pistol having a housing with a revolver mechanism, a barrel extending from the front of said housing, a grip portion extending from the rear of said housing, a rifle stock member having a socket portion at its front end, said grip portion fitting into said socket portion, interlocking means for preventing relative movement between said grip and said socket portion, means for securing said stock to said grip, an auxiliary barrel, a mounting securing said auxiliary barrel in axial alignment with said barrel, said interlocking means including a cut out portion on said housing adjacent said grip, and complementary socket portions in said stock for meshing with said cut out portion to provide rigidity between said grip and said stock.

2. A convertible toy as in claim 1, in which said auxiliary barrel mounting includes an elongated base, said auxiliary barrel being mounted on said base, means for locking said base to said housing, and means for locking said base to said barrel whereby said barrel will rest on said base in axial alignment with said auxiliary barrel.

3. A convertible toy comprising a pistol having a housing with a revolver mechanism, a barrel extending from the front of said housing, a grip portion extending from the rear of said housing, a rifle stock member having a socket portion at its front end, said grip portion fitting into said socket portion, interlocking means for preventing relative movement between said grip and said socket portion, means for securing said stock to said grip, and an auxiliary barrel mounted in axial alignment with said barrel, said auxiliary barrel mounting including an elongated base, said auxiliary barrel being mounted on said base, means for locking said base to said housing, and means for locking said base to said barrel whereby said barrel will rest on said base in axial alignment with said auxiliary barrel, said stock securing means comprising a bolt passing through said stock and said grip, said base locking means includes a screw passing through said base into said housing and a screw passing through said base into said auxiliary barrel, and a strap for locking said base to said barrel.

4. A convertible toy comprising a pistol having a housing with a revolver mechanism, a barrel extending from the front of said housing, a grip portion extending from the rear of said housing, a rifle stock member having a socket portion at its front end, said grip portion fitting into said socket portion, interlocking means for preventing relative movement between said grip and said socket portion, means for securing said stock to said grip, an auxiliary barrel, a mounting securing said auxiliary barrel in axial alignment with said barrel, said auxiliary barrel mounting including an elongated base, said auxiliary barrel being mounted on said base, means for locking said base to said housing, and means for locking said base to said barrel whereby said barrel will rest on said base in axial alignment with said auxiliary barrel, said base being provided with a cut out portion for manual access to the movable parts of said piston.

5. A convertible toy as in claim 3, in which said interlocking means includes a cut out portion on said housing adjacent said grip, and complementary socket portions in said stock for meshing with said out out portions to provide rigidity between said grip and said stock, said base having a cut out portion for manual access to the movable parts of said pistol.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,297,891 3/1919 Moor 42-77 1,477,445 12/1923 Petritsch 42-72 2,205,857 6/1940 Marchand 42--75.l

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONVERTIBLE TOY COMPRISING A PISTOL HAVING A HOUSING WITH A REVOLVER MECHANISM, A BARREL EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT OF SAID HOUSING, A GRIP PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE REAR OF SAID HOUSING, A RIFFLE STOCK MEMBER HAVING A SOCKET PORTION AT ITS FRONT END, SAID GRIP PORTION FITTING INTO SAID SOCKET PORTION, INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR PREVENTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID GRIP AND SAID SOCKET PORTION, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID STOCK TO SAID GRIP, AN AUXILIARY BARREL, A MOUNTING SECURING SAID AUXILIARY BARREL IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BARREL, SAID INTERLOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A CUT OUT PORTION ON SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID GRIP, AND COMPLEMENTARY SOCKET PORTIONS IN SAID STOCK FOR MESHING WITH SAID CUT OUT PORTION TO PROVIDE RIGIDITY BETWEEN SAID GRIP AND SAID STOCK. 